Day #30 of Social Distancing: The Feds vs the States

Apparently, the current federal administration believes that it can assert itself when it’s convenient but when it’s actually needed, the states can fend for themselves. It’s amazing to think that when the states were desperately seeking PPE and test kits, the federal government saw fit to have state governors enter into bidding wars. It was up to the state governors to determine how and when to begin mitigation measures; there was no nationally-coordinated effort to get ahead of the virus and save lives. Oh no, no matter what current and future gas lighting efforts attempt to present, the safety of the public was left to the governors to decide. In fact, the national stockpile was deemed for use by the federal government only, even though it was actually intended to provide for states in an emergency. True story. When a certain inept in-law stated that the national stockpile was not to be apportioned out to states in dire need, the next day the federal website language was modified to match the assertion. And when challenged by the media, the answer was convoluted and the standard go-to was trotted out when there is no answer: “that’s a nasty question,” or “you’re fake news.”

Oh the travesties that have been committed by this administration and its enablers. Never forget them. Ever.

That is not to say that state and local governments were all quick to act. In fact, some who acted swiftly were denigrated by their peers and their business community (see San Francisco.) New York and New Jersey hesitated for maybe a week and that was catastrophic. New York’s death toll is now over 10,000 lives. New York alone accounts for 48% of the entire death toll of the U.S. at this moment. New Jersey’s casualties number near 3,000. But now, the governors are working in concert with one another and have formed a coalition among neighboring states. In the name of protecting its CITIZENS. What a concept.

And now, the federal government, specifically the president, wants to “open up for business” and insists that the federal government has the authority to tell the states when they can do that. Unbelievable. The real reason for this assertion? 45’s golf courses aren’t open? He’s not making money? The states hardest hit by the virus are having none of it. While our favorite governor very patiently explained to a reporter today, the president does not have absolute authority over the states and also explained that while he will not show up to a fight with 45 (unless 45 does something so reckless that it endangers the citizens of his state,) the assertion of absolute authority could not stand and had to be addressed immediately. In his address, he shared this visual to make his point:

You gotta love students of history and constitutional law.

Many things are coming out of this pandemic – death, illness, loss of work, loss of income, a major recession – and on the flip side, compassion, caring, understanding, cooperation, reflection, connection.

And an urgency to remove any elected official or appointee that has not put American citizens first in this crisis.

#rantover